On May 2, 1954, Now you know why they call Stan Musial Stan the Man. No other hitter in major league history ever hit five home runs in one day. Only nine days ago Musial was bumping along at .250. gripped by the same slump that tortured him| last spring. Now he is hitting .400…
On April 23, 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hits the first of his 755 home runs in a 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Aaron’s milestone home run-a solo blast-comes against Cardinals right-hander Vic Raschi.
Jackie Robinson steals second and third base, then steals home on the front end of a triple steal with Gil Hodges and Sandy Amorós in the 6th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Brooklyn Dodgers win, 6 – 5, in 13 innings, when Robinson doubles home Junior Gilliam with the winning run.
In the first night game at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium‚ Bob Turley has a no-hitter against Cleveland when‚ with one out in the 9th‚ Al Rosen singles and Larry Doby homers. Turley strikes out 14‚ but loses‚ 2-1.
On April 15, 1954, Hank Aaron collects the first hit of his major league career. The Milwaukee Braves’ rookie goes 2-for-5 in a 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
On April 13, 1954, future Hall of Famer Hank Aaron makes his major league debut for the Milwaukee Braves. The rookie left fielder goes 0-for-5 in a 9-8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Another Hall of Famer, third baseman Eddie Mathews, hits a pair of home runs for the Braves. Jim Greengrass of Cincinnati hits four doubles in…
The Pittsburgh Pirates open at home for the first time in 61 years and defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4 – 2, before 32,294 spectators. Curt Roberts, the Pirates’ first black player, hits a triple against Robin Roberts in the 1st inning.
Seven years after the team had threatened to strike because of the integration of baseball by Jackie Robinson, North Carolina A&T graduate Tom Alston becomes the first black player to appear in a Cardinals uniform. The highly-touted first baseman, acquired from the PCL’s San Diego club in exchange for veteran infielder Dick Sisler and $100,000, pops out to first base in his first major league at-bat.
On Opening Day off Chicago hurler Paul Milner, Wally Moon hits a home run in his first major league at-bat. The 24 year-old Cardinal center fielder, who will be selected as the National League’s Rookie of the Year, will also homer in the last at-bat of his freshman season.
March 24, 1954 Sporting News Ernie Banks about to start his first full season with the Chicago Cubs. He began playing Professionally with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League in 1950. He would serve in the Military for two years and came back to the Monarchs after service. He would be the first…
Enjoy our free trial and start listening to games, interviews and shows! Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, and Seaver!